demand of male labour unionists at the turn of the 19th century. Demographic significance If a worker or family does not earn a family wage, they are likely to delay having children and have a smaller family, both due to delayed childbearing and due to choosing to limit number of children due to expense. This has been cited as a factor in decreasing family sizes following urbanization and the industrial revolution in essays dating back to the 1751 Observations Concerning the Increase of Mankind, Peopling of Countries, etc. by Benjamin Franklin. Further, this leads to differing fertility across income levels, with higher income households (above a family wage) not being as constrained as lower income households. See also Family economics Labour law Employee benefits Maximum wage Minimum wage Living wage Wage slavery Employment discrimination Wage theft Working poor Guaranteed minimum income Entitlement Welfare Wages and salaries Income distribution Household income References Oxford Dictionary of Sociology: family wage Wages and salaries